The Sun Devils were unimpressive in Week 1 but got away with it. That wasn’t the case against the Aztecs. On a night that honored former coach Frank Kush, San Diego State overpowered the Sun Devils. Game photos

The Sun Devils sink to 1-2 with this loss, their their worst start since Bruce Snyder’s 1999 team started with the same record. That team finished with six wins. Even with Saturday’s strong finish, this group appears miles from such a number, especially with a difficult Pac-12 schedule about to kick in.

All that Todd Graham hot-seat discussion? Table it for now. With this win, the Sun Devils improved to 2-2 and 1-0 in the Pac-12. After a shaky first month, they have showed life, causing a lot of folks to start rethinking that obituary they started for this team weeks ago.

Rarely does one player decide a game. Not in football. So much depends on what happens in different places, especially up front near the line of scrimmage. But ASU's contest at Stanford Stadium offered an exception. Bryce Love was the difference in Stanford’s 34-24 win over Arizona State. Love rushed for a school-record 301 yards on just 25 carries. ASU falls to 2-3 (1-1 Pac-12) with the loss.

ASU turned in the team's best defensive performance of the Todd Graham era to pull off one of the biggest upsets in program history. ASU's 13-7 win over Washington marked the program’s fourth win over a Top 5 team, and the first since blanking No. 1 Nebraska in 1996. They did it with constant pressure on quarterback Jake Browning. They did it with their best tackling of the season. ASU improved to 3-3 and 2-1 in the Pac-12. Washington – a 17-point favorite – dropped to 6-1 and 3-1.

For the second consecutive week, ASU played top-level defense, thumping Utah 30-10 at Rice-Eccles Stadium, a win that answered the question everyone wanted to know after the previous week’s upset win over Washington. “I told them before the game,” defensive coordinator Phil Bennett said. “I said, ‘Listen, everybody in the country is going to be watching. Are you a fluke? Do you like where you’re at? Did you like last week? Has our expectancy changed?’ Because I’m telling you, we coached the s--t out of them this week. We coached them hard.”

Preseason analysis: Drama alert! In 2013, USC fired coach Lane Kiffin after a 62-41 loss in Tempe. In 2014, ASU beat the Trojans on a last-second Hail Mary. In 2015, USC coach Steve Sarkisian reportedly coached against ASU under the influence of alcohol. Last year, ASU quarterback Manny Wilkins got hurt, the first setback in what became a lost season. What possibly could be next?

The Buffaloes could not build on three separate 10-point leads, including 27-17 going into the fourth quarter, and came up lame in the final 15 minutes of a 41-30 ASU win before 44,553 at Sun Devil Stadium. The Sun Devils' victory marked the 600th in program history.

After it was over, Tashon Smallwood said what everyone was thinking. “Man. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t have won this game,” the Arizona State senior defensive tackle said late Saturday night. “And the truth of the matter is, we’ve said that too often this season.” With a chance to reach bowl eligibility, the Sun Devils stumbled, continuing their unpredictable rollercoaster season, falling to Josh Rosen and the UCLA Bruins 44-37 in front of 53,847 fans at the Rose Bowl.

Nov. 18 at Oregon State, 1 p.m., Pac-12 Networks

Preseason analysis: The Beavers are expected to fight for a bowl bid in Year 3 under coach Gary Andersen. To do it, they’ll likely need this game in Corvallis. Something to note: ASU hasn’t won a November game in the Pacific Northwest since 2008 (0-6).

Nov. 25 vs. Arizona, 2:30 p.m., Pac-12 Networks

Preseason analysis: Could this be the last time Todd Graham and Rich Rodriguez clash in the Territorial Cup?

Kickoff times and TV channels will be announced for most games on either a 12-day or 6-day window, based on selections by the television networks during the season.